HHOTT View Helps You Browse Spyware-Free

HHOTT View doesn't keep malicious software from making its way on your system, but it does warn you when you're about to click on a suspicious link or visit a site that's known to contain spyware or viruses. Additionally, the plug-in allows you to visit a site behind a link in a special preview window that doesn't execute scripts or display pop-ups.

Even if you're using a browser like Firefox or IE7, you're not immune to adware and spyware that may be inadvertently downloaded when you visit a site that contains malicious code. At the same time, most anti-spyware apps don't run in real-time, meaning they can't actively protect you from spyware. HHOTT View, an Internet Explorer plug-in designed to help you surf smarter, may not block spyware and adware, but it can definitely help you avoid it while you browse the Web.

When HHOTT View was in beta last year, we weren't terribly impressed with it. Part of the reason was that the preview window took up a ton of screen real estate, especially on notebook or smaller screens. Additionally, because the app is more of a warning system than real protection, your mileage using it as a security tool may vary. The Firefox-version promised last year still hasn't arrived, the preview window is still huge, and the social network the founder promised hasn't materialized, but now that it's public, HHOTT View may be worth a look if you're looking for an additional way to make sure you know what's hiding behind that link.

The app doesn't do anything to keep malicious software from making its way on your system, but it does warn you when you're about to click on a suspicious link or visit a site that's known to contain spyware or viruses. Additionally, the plug-in allows you to visit a site behind a link in a special preview window that doesn't execute scripts or display pop-ups.

When you download and install HHOTT View, safe browsing mode is turned on by default. You can deactivate it if you're having problems or don't want to be bothered by the warnings, but as long as it's enabled, you'll be notified if the sites behind links on your current page are good, bad, or unknown. Each link is flagged with a button indicating whether it's safe. If the button is green, you should be safe. If the button is red, the site is known to have malicious code or malware on it. If the button is blue, it's unknown and the service can't determine if it's safe.

The downside to this safe browsing mode is that you rely on the judgment of the folks behind HHOTT View to determine what's safe and what isn't. Additionally, if the majority of the sites you visit turn up unknown, the service is of no real use to you. The app does update automatically on a regular basis, so as the database of known sites grows, you'll continue to benefit from the app.

HHOTT View's preview browsing is another feature designed to protect you while surfing. At any time, you can bring up a HHOTT View preview window to view the site behind the link without actually loading it in your browser. The HHOTT preview window is like a sandbox: it works like a full Web browser, but does not execute scripts or download cookies. It can give you a good idea of whether the site behind a link is what you expected, and it avoids having to actually put your system at risk by visiting it.

HHOTT View currently supports Internet Explorer 5 and higher, but they claim they're still working on that Firefox version. If you're installing under Windows Vista, the developers note that administrative rights are required. It's free to download, and if you sign up for an account, you can submit feature requests and bug reports through the service's forums.